Culture of Respect Celebrates Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Culture of Respect celebrates the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)! Throughout the month of October, institutions of higher education and community agencies collaborate to raise awareness about domestic violence, uplift survivor stories, and empower individuals to create safe environments that foster healthy relationships. This year’s awareness theme is “Heal, Hold, and Center.” Learn how a few Culture of Respect Collective institutions are centering survivors' experiences in their campus programming:

Centre College (Cohort 8): Campus and community members can stop by various tabling events to receive resources and connect with the Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center. Relax with free yoga on the lawn and attend a sex and sexual health programming where free Mi Pueblo will be offered. Finally, Centre’s Counseling center is hosting a free art therapy event where individuals can learn how to help a friend affected by domestic violence. 

Lewis University (Cohort 7): Lewis University is leading free training programs for campus and community members. These trainings include: centering LGBTQ+ voices, exploring the intersections of racial and domestic violence: A call to re-think accountability and justice, and “El Machismo,” “La Toxica,” and other cultural relationship norms in the Latinx/Hispanic community. Finally, Lewis is hosting a domestic violence panel for nursing students. 

Moreno Valley College (Cohort 8): Uplifting DVAM means “working together to embrace the many cultural ways we can heal from violence and oppression, hold space for survivors, and center those most marginalized in all of our efforts to end domestic violence” -Heal, Hold and Center. Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest is offering free educational workshops on healthy relationships, and DVAM stickers and ribbons are being distributed across campus. Students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to wear purple every Thursday and participate in the healing yoga session on October 17. 

Worcester State University (Cohort 7): Worcester State is encouraging campus and community members to view the “Empty Place at the Table” display in Sheehan Hall. This display, in partnership with the YWCA Central Massachusetts, honors those who have lost their lives to domestic violence in Massachusetts over the past year. Additionally, Worcester is participating in the Red Flag Campaign during the week of October 14. This campaign encourages campus and community members to step in when they witness warning flags for dating violence in a friend’s relationship. 

 

Institutions can also download the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence’s 2024 DVAM Heal, Hold & Center free social media and marketing materials.